TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions
Activity Type Introduction
Reading, writing, In this past simple and past continuous activity, students take
listening and speaking on the role of famous inventors and find out about accidental
activity, group work inventions in order to practice the two tenses.
Procedure
Focus
Divide the students into groups of five. Give each student an
Past simple and past inventor card and a copy of the worksheet. If you have some
continuous groups of four, give a strong student two cards.
Explain that each student is going to take on the role of a famous
Aim inventor, who invented something by accident. The students' task
To practice the past is to find out how the other inventors in their group accidently
simple and past created their inventions. In order to do this, they must ask questions
continuous by taking to each inventor in their group to find out what happened.
on the role of a famous
inventor and finding To begin, students fill in the gaps on their inventor card, explaining
out about accidental what happened, using the past simple or past continuous form of
inventions. the verbs in brackets.
When the students have finished, check the answers by going
Preparation over the correct verb forms for each text, e.g. 1. were trying, etc.
Make one copy of the Character cards - Answer key
inventor cards for each
group of five. Also, ou were trying to find a cure for headaches when you mixed
1. Y
make one copy of the wine and cocoa and made a tasty syrup, which tasted good
worksheet for each when drunk with ice.
student. our servants were boiling water when some leaves fell in
2. Y
the pot. It smelt delicious so you tasted some.
ou were growing bacteria in your lab when you saw some
3. Y
Level mould in the cup. You then noticed that the mould was not
Intermediate (B1) growing next to the bacteria.
ou were stirring chemicals with a stick when you noticed a
4. Y
lump at the end of it. When you tried to remove it, it started
Time a fire.
ou were working in a restaurant when a customer said that
5. Y
30 minutes her chips weren't crispy enough, so you sliced a potato very
thinly and fried it.
Next, draw the students' attention to the chart on the worksheet
and elicit the two questions they need to ask to complete the
chart:
What is your name?
How did you accidently create your invention?
(continued on the next page)
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TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions
Activity Type Procedure continued
Reading, writing, Have the students write their own information in the chart.
listening and speaking
activity, group work Students then go around their group asking the questions and
noting down the answers for each inventor in the chart.
Focus Remind the students that when they explain what happened, they
Past simple and past need to change their text into the first person, e.g. 'I was trying
continuous to find a cure for headaches when I mixed wine and cocoa...'
When the students have finished, they use the information in the
Aim chart and inventions from a box to complete sentences, indicating
what each invention was, who invented it, and how.
To practice the past
simple and past Students must write the verbs in brackets in the sentences in the
continuous by taking past simple or past continuous form.
on the role of a famous
inventor and finding Finally, check the correct answers with the class.
out about accidental
inventions. Exercise B - Answer key
1. P enicillin was invented after Alexander Fleming noticed
Preparation something strange while he was observing the growth of
Make one copy of the mould near bacteria.
inventor cards for each 2. M atches were invented by John Walker, who was stirring
group of five. Also, chemicals, when the stick he was stirring with suddenly
make one copy of the caught fire.
worksheet for each 3. T ea was invented by Shen Nong, who smelt something nice
student. while he was watching his servants boil water.
4. C oca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton, who combined
two ingredients while he was searching for a medical cure.
Level 5. Crisps were invented by George Crum, who was working as
a chef, after a customer's complaint about their meal caused
Intermediate (B1) him to prepare potatoes in a different way.
Time
30 minutes
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PAST SIMPLE VS. PAST CONTINUOUS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions
1. John Pemberton
You .......................... (try) to find a cure for headaches when
you .......................... (mix) wine and cocoa and .......................... (make) a tasty syrup,
which .......................... (taste) good when drunk with ice.
2. Shen Nong
Your servants .......................... (boil) water when some leaves
.......................... (fall) in the pot. It .......................... (smell) delicious, so you
.......................... (taste) some.
3. Alexander Fleming
You .......................... (grow) bacteria in your lab when you
.......................... (see) some mould in the cup. You then .......................... (notice)
that the mould .......................... (not / grow) next to the bacteria.
4. John Walker
You .......................... (stir) chemicals with a stick when you .......................... (notice)
a lump at the end of it. When you .......................... (try) remove it, it
.......................... (start) a fire.
5. George Crum
You .......................... (work) in a restaurant when a customer
.......................... (say) that her chips .......................... (not / be) crispy enough,
so you .......................... (slice) a potato very thinly and .......................... (fry) it.
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PAST SIMPLE VS. PAST CONTINUOUS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions
A. Ask questions to the other inventors in your group and complete the chart with
their answers.
Name How they accidently created their invention
B. Use the information in the chart and the inventions from the box to complete the
sentences below. Write the verbs in brackets in their past simple or past continuous
form.
Coca-Cola matches penicillin tea crisps
1. .......................... was invented after Alexander Fleming .......................... (notice)
something strange while he .......................... (observe) the growth of mould near bacteria.
2. .......................... were invented by John Walker, who .......................... (stir) chemicals,
when the stick he .......................... (stir) with suddenly .......................... (catch) fire.
3. .......................... was invented by Shen Nong, who .......................... (smell) something
nice while he .......................... (watch) his servants boil water.
4. .......................... was invented by John Pemberton, who .......................... (combine)
two ingredients while he .......................... (search) for a medical cure.
5. .......................... were invented by George Crum, who ..........................
(work) as a chef, after a customer's complaint about their meal
.......................... (cause) him to prepare potatoes in a different way.
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